The present invention relates to miter boxes, and more particularly to miter boxes adapted or modified to cut compound miters such as those for crown mouldings and the like.
A great many motorized miter boxes have been developed for cutting wood workpieces at precise angles to the longitudinal axis thereof. Such miter boxes include a work table for supporting the workpieces, a fence against which the workpieces may be registered, and a power saw reciprocable with respect to the work table to cut workpieces supported thereon. The work table and saw are angularly adjustable with respect to the fence so that angles other than right angles may be cut. Most often, 45 degree angles are used to form right angles between adjacent pieces of wood. One such exemplary motorized miter box is that sold as Model 1340238 by Delta International Machinery Corp. of Memphis, Tenn., the Instruction Manual for which is attached to the Disclosure Statement filed simultaneously herewith.
Although such miter boxes are well suited for cutting simple miters wherein the workpiece lays flat against the table and/or the fence, the boxes are not readily or easily adapted for cutting compound miters. A compound miter is created when a workpiece is cut at an angle to its longitudinal axis while no major planar surface of the workpiece abuts or is parallel to either the work table or the fence. Most typically, compound miters are cut in conjunction with crown mouldings and various frame mouldings.
Prior art methods for cutting compound miters are not without their drawbacks. Most often, filler blocks are mounted adjacent the work table and fence. The filler block provides a support surface oriented at an acute angle to both the work table and the fence, which is used as a reference or registration surface for the workpiece to be compound mitered. The filler blocks are typically secured to the fence or table, for example using bolts or screws. The filler blocks are therefore not readily installable or readily removable. Second, the filler blocks are rather bulky and therefore awkward and dangerous to handle in conjunction with the power saw. Third, the relatively permanent fixture of the filler block to the fence and/or table renders the saw unsuited for ready interchangeable use between simple miters and compound miters, requiring multiple miter boxes on a single job. Fourth, a separate set of filler blocks is required for each individual angle.